Guide · Virginia · 7 min read

How to Win Government Janitorial and Cleaning Contracts in Virginia

By the XL Eagle bid team · Updated November 2, 2026 · Built from our live bid database and USAspending.gov

Janitorial contracts in Virginia are steady work, because government buildings have to be cleaned every day. Virginia also has one of the largest groups of federal buyers in the country, so a small cleaning company can find work close to home.

Most of it comes from three places. State agencies and colleges buy through eVA. Cities, counties and schools post their own bids. Military bases and federal offices post cleaning jobs on SAM.gov. Each buyer has its own rules, so you need to know where to look.

This guide covers who buys, what paperwork to expect, and how to price a labor-heavy job. It also shows a way to bid without your own SAM.gov account. Read it once, then use it as a checklist each time a new bid comes up.

Janitorial contracts in Virginia at a glance

9 open janitorial bids in Virginia on XL Eagle today. See them all.
15 janitorial solicitations in Virginia in the last 12 months that we tracked (4 federal, 11 state and local).
Federal agencies made 181 contract awards worth $123.4 million for work performed in Virginia under NAICS 561720 in FY2025 (Oct 2024 - Sep 2025).
Top federal buyers that year: Department of Defense ($102.4 million); Department of Justice ($12.6 million); Department of Energy ($3.6 million).
Agencies posting this work most often in our data: Mvendor.cgieva.com, Navy, Army.

Bid counts from the XL Eagle bid database as of November 2, 2026. Award totals from USAspending.gov.

Who buys janitorial work in Virginia

State agencies and public universities, which buy cleaning services through eVA. Old Dominion University, for example, tells vendors to register there.
Naval Station Norfolk, the headquarters and home port of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, with a huge number of offices, barracks and shops.
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, the Air Force and Army base in the Hampton and Newport News area, which also hosts NASA's Langley Research Center.
Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, where more than 51,000 people work in defense offices and commands.
The Richmond VA Medical Center, where hospital cleaning has strict standards.
Cities, counties and school divisions across the state, which post their own bids and often also use eVA.

Open janitorial bids in Virginia right now

Janitorial Services (mvendor.cgieva.com · Due November 10, 2026)
Janitorial Services (mvendor.cgieva.com · Due November 16, 2026)
Stormwater Ditch Cleaning (mvendor.cgieva.com · Due November 16, 2026)
Janitorial Services (mvendor.cgieva.com · Due November 17, 2026)
Swimming Pool Maintenance, Cleaning, and Repair (Bonfire · Due November 19, 2026)
Janitorial Services (mvendor.cgieva.com · Due November 20, 2026)

All open janitorial bids in Virginia →

Licenses you need in Virginia

We found no Virginia state license made for a janitorial company, so a small crew can start bidding. What buyers want instead is proof you are a real business: your business registration, general liability insurance, workers compensation if you have employees, and past work you can name. Cities and counties may have their own business license rules, so ask your local government. If your scope adds pest control or chemical spraying, that is different work with its own state rules.

Register to bid in Virginia

State and local jobs in Virginia are posted on these sites:

eVA (Virginia's electronic procurement system): The Commonwealth's purchasing system, where suppliers register and where state agencies, colleges and many local governments buy.
Virginia Business Opportunities (VBO): The list inside eVA that shows open opportunities, with a separate Open Construction list for construction bids.
VDOT Business Opportunities and Bid Express: The Virginia Department of Transportation's page for contractor, goods and services, and snow contractor opportunities, with Bid Express listed as a bidding tool.
SAM.gov: The federal site where jobs at Virginia bases and federal offices are posted, and where a business registers to bid as a prime.

Go to the eVA Register Now page and start the supplier registration.
Read the New Supplier Registration Guide and look up your commodity codes with the NIGP code lookup tool.
Finish the registration form with your business details and the codes for what you sell.
Log in, then upload a signed Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9 under Documents and Certs. eVA says registration is not complete without it.
Apply for SWaM certification through the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity if you qualify. It is optional.
Check VBO and the eVA construction list every week, and read each posting for the buyer's own rules.

The eVA registration page lists no sign-up fee, but eVA suppliers pay a 1 percent transaction fee on orders, capped at $500 per order for SBSD-certified small businesses and $1,500 for others, so confirm the current schedule on eVA's billing page.

Federal jobs in Virginia use SAM.gov, which is free. What SAM.gov is and how to register.

Small business certifications in Virginia

SWaM certification (small, women-owned, minority-owned): A business at least 51 percent owned by U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens who run it, with 250 or fewer employees or average yearly receipts of $10 million or less over three years for the small business category.
Micro business add-on: A certified small business with no more than 25 employees and no more than $3 million in average yearly revenue over the three years before certification.
Service-disabled veteran designation: A business certified as service-disabled veteran owned by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, which then shows in its SWaM profile.

Wage rules on public jobs

Virginia has a prevailing wage law for public works, Code of Virginia section 2.2-4321.3, in effect since May 1, 2021. It covers state public works contracts over $250,000, and a city, county or school division only if it has adopted its own ordinance. The 2026 General Assembly amended this law (Chapters 1014 and 1060 of the 2026 Acts), with some changes phasing in through July 2027, so read the wage terms in each bid. On federal jobs, Davis-Bacon covers construction over $2,000 and the Service Contract Act covers service contracts over $2,500.

What janitorial jobs look like in Virginia

Cleaning is a labor contract. Your biggest cost is hours, so the bid comes down to how many people you need and for how long each night.
Read the frequency chart. Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly tasks are priced differently, and floor stripping and waxing is often its own line.
Federal cleaning contracts over $2,500 carry Service Contract Act wages, which can be higher than what you pay now. Use the wage sheet in the bid.
Base work in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia can mean gate passes, background checks and escorted access. Ask how long approval takes before you promise a start date.
Hospital and clinic cleaning often needs written steps for infection control. A simple checklist your crew can follow is enough.
Check who supplies paper, soap and trash bags. Some bids say you do, and some say the buyer does.
Ask for the walk-through date as soon as you see a bid. Many buyers hold one site visit, and a missed visit can end your chance.

Pricing janitorial work for Virginia public buyers

Start from square feet and a cleaning rate per hour, then add supervisor time, supplies, equipment and travel.
Use the wage in the bid, then add payroll taxes, workers compensation and insurance. Many new bidders forget these.
Northern Virginia wages and traffic cost more than the rest of the state, so do not copy a price from another region.
Price floor care as its own line so a one-time strip and wax does not hide inside the monthly price.
Look for the last award price when the buyer posts it. It shows what the market will accept.
Keep a short list of extra services, such as carpet cleaning or window washing, with a price for each. Buyers like to see them quoted apart from the main contract.

Mistakes that lose these bids

Pricing at your usual wage when the bid sets a required wage.
Forgetting holidays and closed days, which changes the real number of cleaning visits.
Guessing square footage instead of walking the site.
Sending the bid without proof of insurance attached.
Promising a start date before background checks and gate passes are approved.

The fastest way to bid: send us your price

You can register and bid on your own using the steps above. If you would rather not, send XL Eagle your price on any janitorial job in Virginia. We write and submit the bid as the prime contractor under our registrations. If it wins, you do the work and get paid. You do not need your own SAM.gov registration to work this way.

Pick a Virginia janitorial job or read the national guide to government janitorial contracts.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to bid on government cleaning work in Virginia?

We found no state license for janitorial work. Buyers still ask for insurance and proof that your business is registered, so have both ready. A local business license may still be needed, so ask your city or county.

Does the Service Contract Act apply to cleaning?

Yes, on federal service contracts over $2,500. The Department of Labor issues the wage rates for each contract, and they become part of the contract.

Where do Virginia state agencies post cleaning bids?

State agencies and colleges buy through eVA. You register as a supplier there, and the site has a list of open opportunities. Create the account early, because approval can take a few days.

Can I bid on base cleaning work without my own SAM.gov registration?

Not as the prime. If you send XL Eagle your price, XL Eagle writes and submits the bid as the prime. If it wins, you do the work and get paid.